Obligations
by Wiebke Fesch
Same disclaimers and notes as Part 1.
-----CHAPTER 18-----
A few hours later, Swift was gently drying Ranat off with a towel. The Althaia attendants had thoughtfully exchanged the scrapers and scrubbers for soft sponges and sweet oils. The bathtub itself wasn't very large but the two of them hardly minded being crowded, so it had been perfect for them. They had lain together close, half-dozing, half exploring one another still. Eventually the water had grown cold but their bodies were certainly heated.
Ranat took the towel and rubbed it into his hair as he made his way to the bed and sat down on the edge, Swift settling in behind him, brush in hand, ready to work out the tangles.
"So," Ranat began, dropping the towel, "are you going upstairs now?"
"What makes you think I'd want to do that, Ranat?" Swift asked, surprised. He made the first swipe through the long, blond hair.
"Well, we're through here and you have Seel and certainly other things waiting." Ranat shrugged.
"Through here? Do you really think so?" He kept on brushing. Ranat was so modest, so unselfish -- overly so. He needed to understand that he was just as worthy as everyone else. "I thought I would stay down here with you, stay the night. It's nice and warm. We should sleep together."
Ranat strained around to look at him. "Won't Seel miss you?"
"Ranat, turn you head back," Swift said, continuing to brush. "Seel understands. We are Wraeththu and we do not allow selfishness to motivate us. It is important that we share with one another." He took a section of hair, now tangle-free, and draped it over Ranat's shoulder, out of the way. "Seel and I have been together for over a year now and were destined for one another long before that. We have a child. We are together almost every night. We are bonded in blood. What I do with you, what I have done, will not change that -- certainly not in a negative way."
Ranat twisted around a second time, this time quickly enough that the brush was left hanging in his hair, yanked out of Swift's grasp.
"Oh, Swift!" he cried and then in pure gratitude, grabbed the ruler of Megalithica for a big hug. "You're so good to me! I knew as soon as I saw you, right there in that cabin, that everything would be all right. I'd never had much reason to trust anyone before, but right away I knew I could trust you."
Ranat pressed his lips to Swift's. He was clearly adjusting to the new metrics of his body. This har would make a fine partner to someone someday, Swift thought as he enjoyed the sharing yet again.
Later, as they lay curled around one another in bed, Ranat had a few more questions. "You and Seel are bonded together in blood. What does that mean?"
Stroking Ranat's back, Swift replied, "It means that he and I are as close as two hara can get. We will be together always."
Ranat thought about this and then wondered, "Do you think my father will ever have someone like that? He's been alone for so long."
"Oh, I'm sure your father will find someone," Swift assured, thinking of Ilga. "Blood bonding would be up to him, if he found someone he was truly committed to, whose soul fit together with his. You'll understand what I mean in time."
"I hope so. I love my father, Swift." Ranat's voice was passionate, full of pride. Swift felt a sting, thinking of his own father, but he hoped that in fathering his own son and taking good care of someone else's, he could overcome that pain.
"I know," said Swift, maneuvering their bodies so that they faced one another, flesh pressed against flesh. Their conversation continued without words
- - - - -
At morning breakfast in the dining room, they arrived clean and fresh. Tarra's fork dropped to the table with a clatter.
"Oh, Ranat!" he cried, jumping out his chair. Seel raised an eyebrow at this display of emotion but Swift simply stepped aside, taking a seat and picking up a glass of juice.
Tarra was embracing Ranat tightly, petting his hair. "Oh, my little-- my son!" he declared. "I'm so glad, so glad..." Tarra was obviously a very emotional creature and to Swift it seemed healthy after all his years of repression, responsibility, and fear. Finally the two came to the table and sat down.
"How are you this morning, Swift?" Tarra asked, reaching out for a roll.
"Oh, excellent. And yourself?"
"Perfect, now that Ranat has made it through." He bit into his roll and winked in his son's direction.
Swift noted that Ashmael was absent and decided to ask about it, just out of curiosity.
"At the moment, he's having a talk with Ilga," Seel offered.
Swift looked at Tarra, who was finishing off his roll. "Really? What's he talking to him about?"
Tarra cleared his throat. "Actually, it's Ilga talking to Ashmael. He's going to be taking me -- and Ranat, too -- to find the Sulh," he explained. "Can you believe it? He knows the way there and says it shouldn't be difficult although... he wants to lead me there all the same. I want to join them for Ranat's caste-training, I've decided."
Seel thought it was an excellent idea and Swift tended to agree. Ilga was apparently petitioning Ashmael to not only allow him to travel to the Sulh, but to remain there, collecting information for the Gelaming.
They wouldn't be leaving right away, Tarra explained, as it would be nice to remain in town for some time before embarking on the trip. Ilga had offered to pay for a room at an inn.
Swift scoffed. "No inn, Tarra. Stay here. You're welcome. Seel and I will be leaving in a week, returning to our home in Galhea, but you stay as long as you need." He looked over to Ranat. "I miss our son and my hostling."
It had been a long week and to Swift, a very important one. He had healed a family and met his obligations, as a ruler and as a har.
THE END
by Wiebke Fesch
Same disclaimers and notes as Part 1.
-----CHAPTER 18-----
A few hours later, Swift was gently drying Ranat off with a towel. The Althaia attendants had thoughtfully exchanged the scrapers and scrubbers for soft sponges and sweet oils. The bathtub itself wasn't very large but the two of them hardly minded being crowded, so it had been perfect for them. They had lain together close, half-dozing, half exploring one another still. Eventually the water had grown cold but their bodies were certainly heated.
Ranat took the towel and rubbed it into his hair as he made his way to the bed and sat down on the edge, Swift settling in behind him, brush in hand, ready to work out the tangles.
"So," Ranat began, dropping the towel, "are you going upstairs now?"
"What makes you think I'd want to do that, Ranat?" Swift asked, surprised. He made the first swipe through the long, blond hair.
"Well, we're through here and you have Seel and certainly other things waiting." Ranat shrugged.
"Through here? Do you really think so?" He kept on brushing. Ranat was so modest, so unselfish -- overly so. He needed to understand that he was just as worthy as everyone else. "I thought I would stay down here with you, stay the night. It's nice and warm. We should sleep together."
Ranat strained around to look at him. "Won't Seel miss you?"
"Ranat, turn you head back," Swift said, continuing to brush. "Seel understands. We are Wraeththu and we do not allow selfishness to motivate us. It is important that we share with one another." He took a section of hair, now tangle-free, and draped it over Ranat's shoulder, out of the way. "Seel and I have been together for over a year now and were destined for one another long before that. We have a child. We are together almost every night. We are bonded in blood. What I do with you, what I have done, will not change that -- certainly not in a negative way."
Ranat twisted around a second time, this time quickly enough that the brush was left hanging in his hair, yanked out of Swift's grasp.
"Oh, Swift!" he cried and then in pure gratitude, grabbed the ruler of Megalithica for a big hug. "You're so good to me! I knew as soon as I saw you, right there in that cabin, that everything would be all right. I'd never had much reason to trust anyone before, but right away I knew I could trust you."
Ranat pressed his lips to Swift's. He was clearly adjusting to the new metrics of his body. This har would make a fine partner to someone someday, Swift thought as he enjoyed the sharing yet again.
Later, as they lay curled around one another in bed, Ranat had a few more questions. "You and Seel are bonded together in blood. What does that mean?"
Stroking Ranat's back, Swift replied, "It means that he and I are as close as two hara can get. We will be together always."
Ranat thought about this and then wondered, "Do you think my father will ever have someone like that? He's been alone for so long."
"Oh, I'm sure your father will find someone," Swift assured, thinking of Ilga. "Blood bonding would be up to him, if he found someone he was truly committed to, whose soul fit together with his. You'll understand what I mean in time."
"I hope so. I love my father, Swift." Ranat's voice was passionate, full of pride. Swift felt a sting, thinking of his own father, but he hoped that in fathering his own son and taking good care of someone else's, he could overcome that pain.
"I know," said Swift, maneuvering their bodies so that they faced one another, flesh pressed against flesh. Their conversation continued without words
- - - - -
At morning breakfast in the dining room, they arrived clean and fresh. Tarra's fork dropped to the table with a clatter.
"Oh, Ranat!" he cried, jumping out his chair. Seel raised an eyebrow at this display of emotion but Swift simply stepped aside, taking a seat and picking up a glass of juice.
Tarra was embracing Ranat tightly, petting his hair. "Oh, my little-- my son!" he declared. "I'm so glad, so glad..." Tarra was obviously a very emotional creature and to Swift it seemed healthy after all his years of repression, responsibility, and fear. Finally the two came to the table and sat down.
"How are you this morning, Swift?" Tarra asked, reaching out for a roll.
"Oh, excellent. And yourself?"
"Perfect, now that Ranat has made it through." He bit into his roll and winked in his son's direction.
Swift noted that Ashmael was absent and decided to ask about it, just out of curiosity.
"At the moment, he's having a talk with Ilga," Seel offered.
Swift looked at Tarra, who was finishing off his roll. "Really? What's he talking to him about?"
Tarra cleared his throat. "Actually, it's Ilga talking to Ashmael. He's going to be taking me -- and Ranat, too -- to find the Sulh," he explained. "Can you believe it? He knows the way there and says it shouldn't be difficult although... he wants to lead me there all the same. I want to join them for Ranat's caste-training, I've decided."
Seel thought it was an excellent idea and Swift tended to agree. Ilga was apparently petitioning Ashmael to not only allow him to travel to the Sulh, but to remain there, collecting information for the Gelaming.
They wouldn't be leaving right away, Tarra explained, as it would be nice to remain in town for some time before embarking on the trip. Ilga had offered to pay for a room at an inn.
Swift scoffed. "No inn, Tarra. Stay here. You're welcome. Seel and I will be leaving in a week, returning to our home in Galhea, but you stay as long as you need." He looked over to Ranat. "I miss our son and my hostling."
It had been a long week and to Swift, a very important one. He had healed a family and met his obligations, as a ruler and as a har.
THE END
